Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC)

The Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC) is an advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

About the OPHPR BSC

The BSC is managed by the Office of Science and Public Health Practice and holds both in-person and web-based meetings, in compliance with the regulations set forth by the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The BSC holds its in-person meetings at the CDC in Atlanta at least twice a year.

The BSC is charged with

• Advising the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the CDC Director, and the OPHPR Director concerning strategies and goals for preparedness programs and research
• Conducting peer-review of scientific programs
• Performing secondary reviews of research grants
• Monitoring OPHPR's overall strategic direction and focus

PHPR BSC Charter

BSC Membership

The BSC charter provides for the following membership

• 10 Special Government Employee members (voting)
• 3 Ex Officio members (voting) – 1 each from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Defense (DoD)
• Liaison representatives (non-voting) from the following organizations:
• Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)
• Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH)
• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
• Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE)
• National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO)
• National Indian Health Board (NIHB)

Voting board members and non-voting liaison representatives have expertise in the following topic areas relevant to emergency preparedness and response: behavioral science, business, crisis leadership, engineering, epidemiology, informatics, laboratory science, medicine, and social science.

Upcoming Meeting Information

• Meeting Notices and Registration

Past Meeting Resources

• 2013
  • April 2-3: Meeting Minutes
• 2012
• August 21-22: Meeting Minutes
• July 10 Web Conference: Meeting Minutes
• May 1-2 Meeting Minutes
• January 3 Web Conference: Meeting Minutes
• 2011
• September 14-15 Meeting Minutes
• April 22 Web Conference: Meeting Minutes
• 2010
  • April 26 Web Conference: Meeting Minutes
• 2009
  • August 13-14 Meeting Minutes
  • April 27 Web Conference: Meeting Minutes
• 2008
  • August 5-6 Meeting Minutes

BSC Reports

• 2012
  • Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers (PERRC) Mid-Project Review (January 2, 2012)
• 2011
  • Career Epidemiology Field Officer (CEFO) Program Review (September 14, 2011)
  • Division of Strategic National Stockpile (DSNS) Program Review (September 14, 2011)
  • Division of Emergency Operations (DEO) Project Review (April 22, 2011)
• 2010
  • Division of State and Local Readiness (DSLR) Program Review (April 26, 2010)

Contact

Questions regarding the activities of the OPHPR BSC may be addressed to CDR Christye Brown, Coordinator, OPHPR Board of Scientific Counselors, at OPHPR.BSC.Questions@cdc.gov.